The redevelopment of the Upper Harbor Terminal is an opportunity for Minneapolis to create a national model for equitable economic development. The mayor is dedicated to ensuring that the economy of north Minneapolis, a neighborhood which has seen decades of disinvestment, will benefit first from the project.
The fate of the Makkasan area, a green space in the middle of Bangkok, is pitting communities and conservationists against developers and cash-strapped authorities. A group of Bangkok residents has launched a social media campaign called the Makkasan Hope project to push for a redevelopment of the space that will include a park, a rail museum, and the preservation of many old buildings instead of a mall.
A small but important stretch of path of the Atlanta BeltLine connecting Edgewood and DeKalb avenues—where Old Fourth Ward meets Inman Park—is officially open. Take a look at the photos from its opening day.
The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, the nation’s largest trails organization, recently announced their vision for the Great American Rail-Trail—a mega bike trail that would connect 4,000 miles of rail-trail and other multi-use trails to form a path across the country from Washington, DC to Washington State.
Paris’s parks and gardens may be beautiful, but they’ve always had strict rules on how to enjoy the green spaces. Many of Paris’s public gardens have loosened their rules since the start of the new year—part of the City Hall-led drive to make Paris greener and more pleasant to live in.
In Portland, Oregon, the Metro Council is working with businesses and residents in the metropolitan area to plan for the future. In the process of planning two new parks, Metro empowered community partners and members from African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Indigenous, and immigrant and refugee communities to sit in the planner’s seat and guide the park design process and outcome.
The Underline, a 10-mile linear park below Miami’s MetroRail, has the potential to make the city more equitable by prioritizing affordable housing initiatives so everyone can benefit from the amenity. Several “rails-to-trails” projects around the U.S., like The BeltLine and the High Line, have grappled with concerns of lessened affordability and increased gentrification—and the Underline will have to grapple with it as well.
Affordable apartments near reliable public transportation aren’t always easy to find. Sound Transit, Puget Sound’s transportation authority, is working on a light rail expansion and will work with local agencies to fill many pieces of leftover land with affordable housing.
Eight bayous will be connected through the $220 million Bayou Greenways 2020 project.
Argentina’s capital hopes to revitalize 145 acres of its riverfront by establishing a ‘Youth District,’ a proposed recreational area that will—as part of rezoning—feature private bars, restaurants and clubs. Critics argue that the plan is socially exclusive and commercial, and poses an environmental risk. Some activists worry the project will make the area more prone to flooding, which is a regular occurrence in Buenos Aires—last spring, flash floods caused the evacuation of hundreds of residents.
